Hertfordshire council approves expansion of school for SEND pupil spaces
Plans to expand a Hertfordshire school for children with learning difficulties have highlighted a rapidly growing need for additional specialist education places across the county.
Southfield School, located on Woods Avenue in Hatfield, is a community special school supporting children aged four to eleven with autism, speech, language and communication needs, developmental delays, and a range of other learning difficulties.
Hertfordshire County Council has now approved proposals to increase the school’s capacity from 100 to 126 pupils, with the expansion due to take effect from 1 September 2026.
Councillor Mark Watkin, the portfolio holder for Education, SEND and Inclusion, welcomed the decision, saying he was “delighted” by the approval. He described Southfield as “an amazing school” meeting the complex needs of children with SEND, adding that the extra spaces are “desperately needed.”
To support the increase in pupil numbers, the council will install a new modular building on-site, providing additional classrooms and sensory spaces.
The plans also include 12 extra parking bays. The £1.71 million required for the expansion was formally signed off by the council’s director of finance on 3 September.
A council report outlining the proposal emphasised the pressure on Hertfordshire’s SEND system. It revealed that while the county has added 867 new special school places since 2019/20 - a 37% increase - demand continues to outstrip supply. More than 700 children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are currently waiting for a place in specialist provision.
Of those, 469 children in Hertfordshire are awaiting a place in a school for learning disabilities (LD) or severe learning difficulties (SLD). The report warned that the numbers are likely to fluctuate as more children are assessed and placements become available.
The council also cautioned that delays in securing specialist places come with significant legal risks. It stated:
“The longer the children are on the waiting list for a special school place, the greater risk of Judicial Review against the Local Authority for not securing a special school placement.”
The expansion at Southfield School forms part of Hertfordshire’s wider strategy to increase SEND provision and reduce waiting lists, aiming to ensure that children receive the support they need as early as possible.